The San Francisco 49ers' running back room could've looked awfully different than it does now, had one small element gone differently on day three of the 2025 NFL Draft.
There was plenty of evidence the Niners would go after Arizona State running back Cam Skattebo to beef up the depth chart behind All-Pro Christian McCaffrey. Skattebo, who grew up in Northern California and was a San Francisco fan as a kid, even felt the 49ers would draft him.
Ultimately, though, the New York Giants selected him in Round 4 at No. 105 overall, and Skattebo has since turned into one of the G-Men's higher-profile weapons.
Exactly how much the Niners were interested in selecting the 5-foot-11, 215-pound tailback wasn't fully clear.
Until now-Tennessee Titans head coach Robert Saleh revealed the plain truth.
Robert Saleh shared just how much 49ers wanted to draft Cam Skattebo
Saleh, who served as San Francisco's defensive coordinator in 2025, worked closely with San Francisco's front office and on that year's draft class, which included monitoring just how much head coach Kyle Shanahan wanted Skattebo.
"We were actually about to draft him in San Francisco," Saleh admitted in a pre-Week 3 press conference. "Kyle loved him. He ended up getting taken right before we were picking."
#Titans HC Robert Saleh says the #49ers were prepared to draft RB Cam Skattebo last year, but the #Giants took him right before they were on the clock.
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) September 23, 2026
“Kyle (Shanahan) loved him.” pic.twitter.com/6g5d2WH7IH
The 49ers subsequently took defensive tackle C.J. West when they were next on the clock at No. 113 overall.
If there was a bit of an "oof" moment, the Niners held pick No. 100, just a few spots before Skattebo was selected. Yet that pick was used on nickel cornerback Upton Stout, and no San Francisco fan would complain about that move.
What would be different if 49ers drafted Cam Skattebo?
It's not hard to see how vastly different the roster trajectory would've been, had the 49ers got their hands on Skattebo.
For starters, it's highly unlikely they would've taken Oregon running back Jordan James in Round 5, and West probably wouldn't have been in the picture either. On top of that, there wouldn't have been much of a need to use a 2026 draft pick on Indiana running back Kaelon Black, who after two games, has shown to be a quality complement to McCaffrey.
It's also plausible McCaffrey would've been spelled from his league-high 413 touches in 2025, assuming Skattebo would have taken on a significant role his rookie season, all the while playing for his boyhood team.
Ultimately, though, things didn't pan out that way. Skattebo is with New York now, and Black is locked in as the No. 2 tailback behind CMC on the Niners depth chart.
In a revisionist world, though, it's certainly fun to think what could have been.
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